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PHOENIX -- While the race in the newly formed Congressional District 9, Kyrsten Sinema maintains a slim lead over Vernon Parker. As of 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, there were just over 2,000 votes separating the two.

"We knew it was going to be a close race," Sinema told 3TV's Kaley O'Kelley Wednesday morning. "What we're really happy about it that we've been steadily ahead since the numbers started coming in and it appears that our lead is growing. So, we're optimistic about the next couple of days."

State law gives the county recorder up to 20 days to finalize election results.

Should she win, Sinema already knows what her first order of business is going to be.

"This district is a district that's incredibly diverse," she said. "What I'll want to do on day one, if elected, is start reaching out to those folks who didn't vote for me because I want to represent them just as well as those who did vote for me.

"You know, the problems that we face in this country are not usually Republican or Democrat," she continued. "They're just middle-class family problems. We want to fix those."